1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is a system for cutting flat sheets of material such as glass, cardboard, paper, and mat board used in the mounting of artwork. The device is designed so as to be capable of accommodating these diverse materials with little or no change in apparatus configuration. It provides the capability of cutting or scoring mat board at two different angles and has features which tend to hold the apparatus stable while the cutting is being carried out. The cutting is achieved by sliding a mount holding a razor blade (or other appropriate slicing instrument) along a track which guides the direction of the cut. The invention utilizes a combined track/brake piece which also serves to hold the workpiece in place. Pegs delineate the squaring off of the base supporting the workpiece so as to increase the efficiency with which rapid measurement and cutting can be achieved.
2. Description of Prior Art
There has been no shortage over the past 90 years of inventions for the cutting of materials such as mat boards of the type used for mounting paintings, drawings and the like. Presumably, this creative activity resulted from the continuing frustration encountered by persons trying to utilize the devices they had available for completing this basically simple operation. In reviewing the prior art as represented by U.S. Letters Patent, one observes that none of the prior art encompasses:
(1) a non-slip base; PA0 (2) a single component which combines the guide track, the brake, and the clamp bar; PA0 (3) the provision of both 45.degree. and 90.degree. guide tracks and brake on a single device; PA0 (4) the capacity to cut materials other than mats and paper board, such as glass, light plastic, soft wood, leather and the like; PA0 (5) lubricated motion of blade holder along guide rail; PA0 (6) a T-square attachment; PA0 (7) the capacity to outline on the mat the area to be cut out; PA0 (8) base-mounted alignment pegs to ensure that the relative orientation of the sheet edges and the cut lines is well-defined.
Indeed, with very few exceptions, the prior art does not even manifest individual features providing the above capabilities. Attention is called to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,413,542, 4,096,631, 4,022,095 3,996,827, 3,973,459, 3,964,360, 3,897,706, 3,779,119, 3,628,412, 3,527,131, 3,463,041, 3,213,736, 611,238, and 228,686.